The present invention relates to a vehicle and a system associated with a vehicle.
Watching people and animals, one can sense their emotions such as whether they are happy or angry. This is because people and animals can express their feeling by crying, laughing, and so forth, using their mouth, eyes, and so forth, and many expressions of emotion are shared and can be commonly recognized.
Meanwhile, vehicles, such as automobiles and trains, are used as a means of transportation. In fact, their use is growing such that traffic is increasing and becoming heavier. Partly, this congestion is because there is a tendency for people to use vehicles even when they travel to nearby places. Today, on most streets one will see many more vehicles than pedestrians.
Conventionally, many improvements have been made to functions, such as engines and breaks, of vehicles related to their use as a means of transportation. However, there has been almost no improvement related to imparting vehicles with means, beyond essential functions, of expression similar to those found in human being or other animals, with the result that today inorganic vehicles travel up and down the streets. Further, because vehicles have no true expression functions, an occupant""s emotion and intent can only be conveyed to people through limited means such as the vehicle""s horn and directional lights.
In recent days, however, as traffic grows heavier and vehicle use increases, vehicles having expression functions, such as crying and laughing, like people and other animals do, could create a joyful, organic atmosphere rather than the simple comings and goings of inorganic vehicles. Such emotive, organic vehicles could also lead occupants to have greater affinity f or their vehicles, and make the driving experience more comfortable.
Moreover, because horns are used as the primary means for expressing an occupant""s intention, and because the horn sounds nearly the same when sounded, for example, when asking for permission to cut in front and in showing gratitude for having been allowed to cut in front, the person addressed by the horn often has no idea what it is that the occupant wishes to communicate. If, however, various expression functions are provided to vehicles, an occupant can convey his intention more clearly, so that the range of communication with people outside of the vehicle can be expanded.
(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided vehicle expression operation control system for controlling an expression operation of a vehicle, comprising a vehicle condition detecting device for detecting condition of the vehicle, including a state of operation of the vehicle or a state of operation of a device equipped to the vehicle; and a reaction control device for determining a reaction of the vehicle based on the condition of the vehicle detected by the vehicle condition detecting device to control performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction determined.
(2) According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided vehicle expression operation control system for controlling an expression operation of a vehicle, comprising an occupant condition detecting device for detecting condition of an occupant of the vehicle, including condition of the occupant and a command input by the occupant; and a reaction control device for determining a reaction of the vehicle based on the condition of the occupant of the vehicle detected by the occupant condition detecting device to control performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction determined.
(3) According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided vehicle expression operation control system for controlling an expression operation of a vehicle, comprising an electronic partner condition detecting device. for detecting condition of an electronic partner or a command input given to the electronic partner by an occupant of the vehicle, the electronic partner being placed in the vehicle by the occupant and performing a predetermined motion based on its function for expressing a reaction according to detected external conditions or in response to a command input; and a reaction control device for determining a reaction of the vehicle based on the condition of the electronic partner detected by the electronic partner condition detecting device to control performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction determined.
(4) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided vehicle expression operation control system for formulating a reaction of a vehicle and controlling performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction formulated, comprising: current status recognition means for recognizing current status of a state, including a reaction, of the vehicle; vehicle condition detecting means for detecting condition of the vehicle, including a state of operation of the vehicle or a state of operation of a device equipped to the vehicle; reaction formulating means for formulating a reaction based on the current status of the vehicle recognized by the current status recognition means and according to the condition of the vehicle detected by the vehicle condition detecting means; and reaction control means for controlling performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction formulated by the reaction formulating means.
(5) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided vehicle expression operation control system for formulating a reaction of a vehicle and controlling performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction formulated, comprising current status recognition means for recognizing current status of a state, including a reaction, of the vehicle; occupant condition detecting means for detecting condition of an occupant of the vehicle, including condition of the occupant and a command input by the occupant; reaction formulating means for formulating a reaction based on the current status of the vehicle recognized by the current status recognition means and according to the condition of the occupant detected by the occupant condition detecting means; and reaction control means for controlling performance of an expression operation corresponding to the reaction formulated by the reaction formulating means.
(6) The vehicle expression operation control system according to the above (4) may further comprises occupant condition detecting means for detecting condition of an occupant of the vehicle, including condition of the occupant and a command input by the occupant. In the above system, the reaction formulating means may formulate a reaction based on the current status of the vehicle recognized by the current status recognition means and according to the condition of the occupant detected by the occupant condition detecting means.
(7) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle communication system comprising the vehicle expression operation control system according to the above (4) and an electronic partner placed in the vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, for performing a predetermined motion based on its function for expressing a reaction according to a state of outside situation or in response to a command input. In this system, the vehicle expression operation control system and the electronic partner are able to transmit and receive data between each other.
(8) In the above vehicle communication system, the electronic partner may obtain information on the reaction of the vehicle from the vehicle expression operation control system and performs a predetermined motion based on the information obtained
(9) Further, in the above vehicle communication system, the reaction of the electronic partner may be identical to the reaction of the vehicle.
(10) Still further, in the above vehicle communication system, the vehicle expression operation control system may obtain a command input to the electronic partner or information concerning an outside situation; and the reaction formulating means of the vehicle expression operation control system may formulate a reaction of the vehicle based on the command input to the electronic partner or the information concerning an outside situation.
(11) Yet further, in the above vehicle communication system, the vehicle expression operation control system may obtain information on the reaction of the electronic partner; and the reaction formulating means of the vehicle expression operation control system may formulate the reaction of the vehicle based on the reaction of the electronic partner.
(12) Yet further, the above vehicle expression operation control system or vehicle communication system may further comprise an output device installed in the vehicle, for outputting information on the reaction or expression operation of the vehicle.
(13) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle for performing an expression operation by changing an external appearance of devices equipped to the vehicle.
(14) The above vehicle may further comprise an expression operation assisting member for assisting an expression operation of the devices equipped to the vehicle.